Chief Propulsion Analysis & Validation

Doist; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 220,000 - 272,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Medical/dental/vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off

10 holidays per year

Parental leave

Relocation assistance

Daily lunch

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. is seeking a Head of Analysis to lead the Launch & Propulsion division's analysis organization. You will own the methods, tools, standards, and team producing structural, thermal, and CFD analyses that underpin design decisions and flight‑readiness arguments.

You will define margins philosophy, set what analyzed means for the program, and build a fast, rigorous analytic workflow with in‑house and commercial codes to enable hardware‑speed iteration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field.
• 10+ years of experience in structural, thermal, or fluid dynamics analysis for aerospace or propulsion hardware, with at least 5 years in a technical leadership role.
• Deep expertise in at least one analysis domain (structural, thermal, or CFD) with strong working knowledge of the other two.
• Proven ability to define analysis methodologies, factors of safety, and margin policies for flight hardware programs.
• Proficiency with analysis software tools (e.g., ANSYS, Fluent, Star‑CCM+, Nastran, Abaqus, Thermal Desktop, Sinda).
• Experience onboarding analysis software tools and automated workflows.
• Track record of building and scaling an analysis team and delivering high‑quality results on aggressive schedules.
• Strong communication skills for design reviews and margins justification.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the analysis philosophy for the program, including safety factors and margin policy.
• Develop the analysis‑versus‑test strategy for hardware with high test cadence.
• Lead a team of structural, thermal, and CFD analysts; hire and mentor across levels.
• Lead structural analysis across engines and vehicle systems for static strength, fatigue, and life assessment.
• Lead thermal analysis for propulsion components and vehicle systems; define models and correlation strategies.
• Lead CFD efforts for internal and external flow including engine and nozzle performance.
• Maintain and evolve the analysis toolchain and automated workflows.
• Establish documentation standards and V&V evidence for flight‑readiness.
• Correlate analytical predictions with test/flight data and update models accordingly.
• Coordinate with design, test, manufacturing, and mission teams to keep schedules.

Skills

Analysis leadership

Aerospace analysis

Finite element methods

StructuralThermalCFD

ANSYS Fluent Star-CCM+ Nastran Abaqus

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace/Mechanical

Tools

ANSYS

Fluent

Star-CCM+

Nastran

Abaqus

Thermal Desktop

Sinda

Job description

Cowboy Space Corp. is seeking a Head of Analysis to lead the Launch & Propulsion division's analysis organization. You will own the methods, tools, standards, and team producing structural, thermal, and CFD analyses that underpin design decisions and flight‑readiness arguments.

You will define margins philosophy, set what analyzed means for the program, and build a fast, rigorous analytic workflow with in‑house and commercial codes to enable hardware‑speed iteration.